Secretariat
European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA)

CETA is the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement designed to strengthen economic relations and develop business between the European Union (EU) and Canada. It includes a Protocol on the Mutual Acceptance of the Results of Conformity Assessment.

This Protocol establishes the mutual recognition of European and Canadian Accreditation Bodies (ABs) and Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) in order to ensure the acceptance of results of each other’s conformity assessment activities in product sectors such as electrical equipment, construction, toys, machinery or measuring equipment. This means that a CAB located in the EU can test products for export to Canada according to Canadian rules and vice versa.

For the purpose of implementing the CETA Protocol on Conformity Assessment, the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) signed a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement. Pursuant to this agreement, EA and SCC established a procedure to review that the requirements of Article 12 of the CETA Protocol are fulfilled by the applicant ABs. That includes the ability of the ABs to accredit CABs for the specific product sector requirements of the other party.

This review is being performed by the EA – SCC Steering Committee, which is composed of high-level representatives and experts from both parties.

Based on a positive review, the Steering Committee recommends the recognizing parties of the EU and Canada, to recognize the AB for a specific product sector.

This procedure currently covers the following product sectors:

• Equipment, machines, apparatus, devices, control components, protection systems, safety devices, controlling devices and regulating devices, and related instrumentation and prevention and detection systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres (ATEX equipment);
• Electrical and electronic equipment, including electrical installations and appliances, and related components;
• Construction products;
• Machinery, including parts, safety and other components, interchangeable equipment, and assemblies of machines.

Further product sectors according to Annex 1 of the CETA Protocol on Conformity Assessment will follow soon.

Now SCC has demonstrated to the Steering Committee that it meets the requirements of Article 12 and its ability to accredit CABs for the technical regulations of the EU within the ATEX equipment product sector. Accordingly, the Steering Committee made a positive recommendation to the European Commission/EU to recognize SCC for ATEX pursuant to Article 12 of the CETA Protocol.

The application of SCC for recognition has been reviewed by the EU, considering the recommendation made by the Steering Committee, and finally the EU recognized SCC for the relevant technical regulations of the EU within the ATEX equipment product sector for the purposes of the CETA Protocol.

Find more information about CETA here, and the CETA Protocol on conformity assessment here.